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Animal Health and Welfare
Like human health, animal health is complex and is faced with ever-evolving challenges. Thanks to the advances in technology, medicine and science, innovative solutions can be used to address animal diseases threats, whether they affect terrestrial animals, aquatic animals or wildlife. Animal health is a key component of animal welfare.
Animal health professionals are the key actors in charge of optimising the physical and behavioural health and welfare of animals. They contribute to prevent, treat and control diseases which can affect an individual animal or even whole animal populations.
Animal health and welfare, at the heart of global challenges
Because we interact with animals daily, both domestic and wild, their health and welfare are a major concern for us. Human health, food security, prosperity and respect for the environment are all inextricably linked to our worldwide governance of animals, a governance that the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has been guiding for nearly 100 years taking a One Health approach.
Some key figures
Safeguarding global health in today’s world
Many established human infectious diseases originate in animals, and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, for example, climate change is having a considerable impact on their spread. In addition, almost all new infectious agents that emerge in humans have an animal source.
Preserving livelihoods and food security
Not all animal diseases pose a direct risk to humans, but they may still have significant socio-economic impacts. For some people, animal health is not only a health issue: their jobs and livelihoods depend on it.
1 in 5
people depend on production animals for their income and livelihoods
> 70%
additional animal protein will be needed to feed the world by 2050
> 20%
of global animal production losses are linked to animal diseases
Building more sustainable animal farming
As society becomes increasingly aware of the challenges posed by climate change, now and in the future, it has high expectations for sustainable animal farming that respect both the environment and animal welfare. Animal welfare is also subject to more attention from consumers of animal products. The need to feed a growing number of people, and to feed them better, must be combined with the urgent requirement to protect our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Read our vision paper: Animal health and welfare: cornerstones of sustainable animal farming.
Our action
We have been at the forefront of preventing and controlling animal diseases since 1924.
We focus on monitoring and disseminating knowledge about animal diseases, as well as on how to use scientific data to limit animal diseases’ negative effects on society.
At a time when numerous changes are disrupting our communities and ways of life, we continues to adapt our work to the evolving challenges of veterinary public health, to provide more effective support to Veterinary Services through these changes.
We believe that animal health is essential to our future.
Animal health is our health. It’s everyone’s health.
Our Global Strategies on Animal Health and Welfare
As part of its mission, we bring together governments, industry and experts to develop global strategies on animal health and welfare. While some of these strategies focus on transversal thematics, others are specifically developed to guide countries in the prevention and control of priority animal diseases.
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.pdf – 309 KB See the document -
Strategic Plan
Aquatic Animal Health Strategy 2021–2025
.pdf – 14 MB See the document -
Strategic Plan
Global Animal Welfare Strategy
.pdf – 1 MB See the document -
.pdf – 2 MB See the document
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Strategic Plan
Roadmap for Zoonotic Tuberculosis
.pdf – 1 MB See the document -
Strategic Plan
The Global Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy
.pdf – 4 MB See the document -
Strategic Plan
Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR
.pdf – 4 MB See the document
Data on Animal Health
Reliable data support national authorities and the international community in making evidence-based decisions to improve animal health and, consequently, global health security. WOAH spearheads innovative projects to make data related to animal health accessible for everyone.
